


Cure

by theyrenotonlybooks



Category: Supernatural
Genre: 10.03, Fluff, One Shot, alternative ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-07
Updated: 2015-03-07
Packaged: 2018-03-16 18:45:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3498968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theyrenotonlybooks/pseuds/theyrenotonlybooks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean has just been cured in the dungeon of the bunker but things end a little differently..</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cure

“Welcome back Dean” Sam grinned down at his older brother as Dean looked up dumbfounded and completely out of it. Sam was still standing there grinning when Cas cleared his throat, “Sam the hand cuffs?”  
“Right, right of course” Sam leapt forward digging the key out of his pocket and hastily freeing his brother from the cuffs. Dean stood up stretching his back and rubbing his sore wrists, he took a step forward and stumbled.  
“You need to lay down Dean, your body may have been awake but you have been in a comma-like state for months, you need to give yourself some time to adjust” Cas reasoned after steadying the ex-demon with an arm around his waist.   
“Jesus Cas I’ve been back five seconds and you’re already nagging me,” Castiel began to frown before he saw Deans smirk.  
“I’ve missed you Dean”  
“I know, buddy, me too.” Dean glanced at his brother, who was politely looking away, before stepping into a hug with the Angel he had been away from for far too long. While his head was pushed against Castiel’s neck, Dean repeated “me too.”  
——  
Sam pulled the blankets up around his drowsy brothers shoulders, tucking him in like their mum used to.   
“Sammy, I’m not a child” Dean muttered but his sleepy smile didn’t really suggest he was bothered by the way Sam had been coddling him since he’d been cured.  
“I know, I’ll leave you alone now so you can rest, I’m going to go out and get you a burger or something ok?”  
“mmmmph..” came the garbled reply of consent as Dean rolled over, face down into the memory foam. Sam chuckled as he stood up and headed for the door.   
“Sam!” Dean gasped out, reaching for his brother before he left, “Dean what, what is it?” Sam rushed back to the bed side, convinced something had gone wrong; Dean was dying after all, or maybe the cure hadn’t worked in the first place and Dean was turning back into a demon, maybe…   
“Don’t forget the pie!” Sam sighed in relief as he punched his brother in the arm.   
—-  
Dean was roused from a fitful sleep a short while later by a light tapping at his door. “Yeah?”   
Castiel entered, trench coat wrinkled, hair sticking up all over the place and a couple of buttons done up in the wrong holes of his shirt, but otherwise Cas was looking pretty good for a supposedly dying Angel.  
“How are you feeling?” Cas asked, squinting eyes roaming across Deans face.  
“Been better” Dean admitted “but the nap has helped, I feel a little more like myself at least” Cas locked his eyes with Deans, trying to cypher how much of what the hunter had said was true, Dean just sighed “look Cas I’m fine, really ok? Yeah I’m exhausted and I feel like shit for everything I’ve done over these past months, most of all trying to murder my little brother just a couple of hours ago but unless you can heal that away, physically? I’m fine.”   
The calculation of cas’ stare faded into something more resembling sympathy, “Dean, it wasn’t you” Dean just looked away unable to bare the unwavering faith this Angel of God seemed to have in him. Cas opened his mouth but stopped, knowing anything he could say to try and convince Dean he was not at fault had surely been said half an hour ago by Sam. So, instead, Cas did all he could think to do to offer this grieved hunter some comfort; he reached out and rested his hand atop Deans. Castiel had witnessed many humans using similar acts of physical intimacy in place of dialogue to comfort those they loved. He had learned in spending time with the Winchesters, that sometimes guilt and pain could not be explained out of a person’s mind, so all there is left to do is offer small acts of companionship, like this one, in the hopes it will help in some slightly significant way. Dean glanced up at Castiel, their eyes meeting then flicking away. Silently, Dean turned his hand over so that their palms were touching and laced their fingers together; squeezing slightly as a thank you. Dean couldn’t say it, he’s never been able to say it. He doesn’t even know what ’it’ is. Maybe that he’s thankful the angel is there, to watch over him, to talk to him, just to be present. That he’d been there for Sam when Dean wasn’t? That now Deans back he hasn’t gone away, hasn’t left like everyone else, because they always do, one way or another. He’s thankful that Castiel looked at one of the creatures he despises and was able to see past it, was able to see Dean, thankful that he never lost faith, even when Dean did. But no, Dean can’t say any of that aloud, so instead, he focuses all of it into that one small squeeze of their clasped hands.  
Cas squeezes back, once more their eyes flicking up to meet and in that moment Dean realises that Cas knows, probably knows more than Dean is yet to realise himself, but he knows and that is just one more thing Dean has to be thankful for.


End file.
